A special meeting of the Alaska Public Offices Commission is scheduled for New Year’s Eve to take up the complaint of a political critic of Republican Rep. Kevin McCabe of Big Lake.
APOC is the agency tasked with ensuring that campaign finance laws and regulations are adhered to by candidates.
The complaint by Republican Michael Alexander says that McCabe has unresolved campaign finance violations relating to digital advertising. The complaint is lengthy and has numerous items that Alexander says are proof that not all of McCabe’s digital advertising during his campaign for reelection were disclosed to APOC.
But McCabe has a defense: He turned over all his digital advertising to Optima Public Relations and paid the company $16,825, all of which is declared on his APOC filings. This is a normal process for many campaigns.
McCabe and Alexander have some history. McCabe had his own APOC complaint already filed against Alexander for putting small signs pointing at McCabe’s campaign signs. Those small signs said “PFD Thief” on them, and were allegedly placed there by Alexander, who did not form up a legal independent expenditure group before having them printed and installed alongside McCabe’s signs.
McCabe also supported Rep.-elect Jubilee Underwood in her successful challenge to Rep. David Eastman in 2024; Alexander is a supporter of Eastman.
Why APOC is scheduling an expedited hearing on New Year’s Eve, with only 24 hours notice, is one of the mysteries of the agency, which has a history of fining Republicans, while allowing Democrats to skate.
The meeting will be held Dec. 31, at 10:00 a.m. APOC describes it as a meeting to “consider a request for expedited consideration of Complaint 24-12-CD, Michael Alexander v. Kevin McCabe. Under 2 AAC 50.888, if the Commission grants expedited consideration, a hearing on the merits of the complaint may immediately follow.”
Microsoft Teams instructions:
The meeting will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams. Click here to join the meeting.
Meeting ID: 287 379 483 743
Passcode: AV75MR93
Call-in for audio only:
1 907-202-7104. Phone Conference ID: 402042679#
You may also email [email protected] to request a Teams meeting invitation and questions regarding the meeting may be directed to the Commission’s staff at (907) 276-4176.
